2. REBORN

"But the world fell down with some people still around. There is love, there is love to be found." -Lisa Germano

I WAS NINTY NINE POINT NINE PERCENT SURE THAT I WAS DEAD.

And the reason for this was because: One, I was in a meadow filled with bright yellow sunflowers - something which never grows around my home area in wasteland valley - and two, I was looking at my sister, Lydia. Sis had been dead for three months now, so that right there meant I had to be dead as well.

We were disguised as humans, just like before - before my life took a turn for the worse. I was sitting upright while she was on her back with eyes on the sky. I was more than relieved to see she hadn't changed much; her face looked the same as I remembered it: skin soft and as white as snow with long blonde locks that hugged her sweet, heart-shaped face. Her light brown eyes glanced at me, and her lips pulled up into a small smile. I smiled back. I wanted to ask her a question that I've been saving for this very moment; well, I had many - What had she been up to? How was heaven like? Was it as great as everyone said it would be? - but she opened her mouth before I had the opportunity to begin.

"Can you promise me one thing?"

My eyes widen with surprise at how her voice reechoed for a few seconds before slowly slipping away, as if the volume was being turned down on a radio.

"And what would that be?" I asked her gently, not wanting to ruin this precious moment.

Lydia shook her head. "Not until you promise me first."

I stared at her for a moment. "I promise."

Usually I wouldn't give in so easily. I guess I was simply happy to have found her in the afterlife.

"Whatever you do" - her voice was fading - "don't turn around."

I could feel my eyebrows press together in confusion. What a silly thing to worry about. "Why not, Lydia?" I really wanted to know.

But her eyes were already on the blue sky again. Bemused, I stared at her in the bright light of day. It was strange, now that I think of it, how I couldn't feel the warmth of the sun on me. A shiver trailed down my arms, raising goosebumps. I quickly wrapped my arms across my chest. Why was I so cold? My gaze fell back on Lydia. She laid on the ground, smiling contently while the sunflowers danced around her head. This bothered me more than it should, and I found myself doubting my right for existing here in this pleasant world alongside my sister. I didn't belong her. It wasn't meant to be. It never was. Now I'm not completely sure how I knew this, but something in the back of my head told me I was right.

"I'm not supposed to be here, am I?" I couldn't help asking.

She put a finger to her lips. "Enjoy the sun before it plays hide-and-seek with the clouds."

"What clouds?"

On cue, the light slowly dimmed. I looked up. Dark, angry-looking billows covered the beautiful blue with the sun nowhere in sight. The meadow was no longer as stunning as it was a second ago. The sunflowers swaying in the breeze, like ripples across a lake, looked murky and ominous beneath the growing storm. Thunder mumbled above our heads, but the smell of rain wasn't in the air . . . I shuddered.

"Are you prepared for what's to come?" Her voice was nearly inaudible this time. Like a whisper.

I looked down at her. "Should I be?"

There was an odd sound, like metal striking against each together. Even though I promised her not to, I couldn't stop myself from looking back, and regretted it the second I laid eyes on a Noble in black armor. I didn't get the chance to blink when its big, iron hand launched for my head.

"No!" I screamed, wrenching upright out of bed.

There was a second scream that I realized did not belong to me, followed by the sound of glass shattering. The sun was up, and I was sitting fully dressed in bed. I glanced, disoriented, across the dim room. My eyes found a young wolf shrouded in human form, his straight bronze hair brushed just below his jaw-line. He awkwardly squat down and began picking up broken pieces that used to be a bowl. There was no reason for fear. He smelt harmless. If anything, he feared me.

Abruptly he stood without meeting my gaze and walked fast to the dusty kitchenette that I never used. The anxious look on his face and his sloppy cleaning gave me the impression that he felt uncomfortable with my staring and wanted to leave as soon as possible. He stopped next to the table, turning his head this way and that, obviously searching for something to dump the broken pieces of pottery inside. However, because of the potent smell of fear pouring out from every pore of his body, I'd say he was looking for a rock to crawl under instead.

"What are you doing?" I finally asked him.

And then he freaked out, words coming out in a rush.

"It was raining. The door was wide open. I didn't think anyone lived here. I was hungry, and wet, and cold, and I'm sorry for breaking your bowl. Please don't kill me!"

I stared without blinking.

His blush seemed to grow deeper after each passing second - face bright red like a tomato. The warm color reminded me of blood. For a second, the memory of that night washed through my head, making me feel dizzy. I suddenly remembered where I was, and how I got here. Not really thinking at all, I took my eyes off him and looked down at my shoulder to check my bullet wound. What I found was not what I expected. Securely wrapped around my left shoulder was a brown cloth that used to be white. To my surprise, there was the absence of scorching pain underneath the dressing. Did he do this for me, I wondered, eyebrows pulling together in mystification.

"I-It took me a while to clean you up." That answered my question. My eyes trailed back to him. At the same time, he ducked his head with eyes on the floor. "There was so much blood." He continued in a low, shy voice. "I was afraid you were . . . already gone." It sounded like he edited his sentence halfway through for my sake.

I looked away afterwards, understanding what he really meant. Even though it didn't show on my face, I was disappointed. It was unfair. I thought for certain I would finally be rid of living on this empty place, spend the rest of eternity with my sister and be happy for once. Apparently, it was a vain hope. And apparently, it was his fault.

"So," He filled the silence with an uneasy laugh. "How do you feel?"

Miserable. Empty. Annoyed.

I inhaled deeply through my nose. "I'm fine."

So I lied. It wasn't absolutely necessary for him to know the truth.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a tiny smile grow on his baby face. "That's great. I'm Toboe by the way. What's your name?"

I sighed miserably, not really interested in making new acquaintances.

"Amber." I mumbled.

"Oh, wow!" The excitement in his voice made me look at him. His face brightened, and he was no longer the shy and quiet pup I met a few seconds ago. "That name fits you perfectly!"

I made a face. It does?

"Your eyes." He explained, gesturing towards me with a wave of his hand. "They're yellow, just like the color of amber."

That never crossed my mind before. I blinked twice, still bluntly surprised. "Oh . . ." Though I hardly sounded delighted, that didn't stop his cheerful mood from dying out.

"It's nice to finally know your name." He said. "It's been driving me nuts."

"Driving you nuts?" I repeated slowly, not understanding.

He frowned at this and tried putting his sentence in other words. "I mean, a-after taking care of you for almost five days, I would keep myself busy by trying to . . . guess . . . your name," He paused, either because he noticed my confused expression never changed or had just realized how creepy that sounded. "At first I thought you looked like a-"

"Did you say I've been asleep for five days?" I interrupted him.

"Well . . . " He hesitated. "Yeah. You were in bad shape when I found you." Then he looked down, staring at nothing. "I was worried you'd never wake up."

Confusion overruled any other emotion on my face. "Why?"

"I dunno," He muttered uncomfortably, and kicked an imaginary rock on the floor. "I guess . . . I didn't want you to . . . you know,"

Actually I did. The silence rolled between the two of us. It amazed me how a total stranger felt concerned for my wellbeing. He had no idea who I was, yet out of the kindness of his heart, he stood by my side and took care of me. As I stared at him in shock, my mind traveled into the past, to that night. Before my eyes closed, I had seen a person at the door. A dark figure running towards me in slow motion. My eyes made me see what I wanted to see, but in truth it was something completely different. The blurry figure was not Death. Instead, it was this pup. I was never dead . . . so then that meant I was dreaming, dreaming a nightmare about my sister in heaven. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I quickly looked away before he noticed. It just wasn't fair. I missed her so much.

The intense quiet was shattered by a low grumble. Toboe looked up at me and smiled sheepishly, as if waiting for a scolding. He had not left my side for five whole days, so the least I could do was return the favor.

"You must be hungry." Obviously.

He laughed. "Maybe just a little."

I slid one leg out of bed.

"Don't!" I snapped my head up, alarmed. Toboe let the shattered pieces of pottery drop from his hands and began to hurry towards me with a worried expression. "You're still hurt! You should stay in bed!" He told me.

The narrowing of my eyes must have scared him because he came to a complete stop. He swallowed loudly, and I could see the lump travel down his neck. His feet scrapped lightly against the floor as he shifted his weight, preparing to run out the door if need be. Did I look that angry? Knowing that he wasn't going to argue against my decision any more, I slid my other leg over the edge and stood up. The world spun, and I waited for it to right itself before moving again. I lost more blood than I thought. I blinked a few times, clearing the haze from my vision, and took half a step forward with an unsteady balance that he was well aware of.

"I'll help you." He saw my objecting expression and quickly added, "Or not."

I staggered passed him to the open door. "I know a promising spot down the lake that's filled with fish."

The sound of food made him flash a smile. "Really?"

I gave a curt nod. "Follow me."

Without saying anything further, he obeyed and followed me out on the deck. The warmth of the afternoon sun washed over my stiff, cold limbs, bringing back life into my body. Sadness crept to my face and I took a deep breath through my nose before staggering onward.

Stupid sun . . .

A/N: How do you like the story so far? Too cliche? A bit vague? A good read? I'm asking because this is my first Wolfs Rain fanfic, and it's been years since I last saw the anime. I hope I'm capturing the characters personality correctly. If not, let me know asap. Last thing I want is to have someone out of their character. Even I would find that annoying. Also, I want to improve my writing skills for the sake of clarity, so feel free to offer advise, constructive criticism, grammar flames. The works! But in order for that to happen, I need you to assess and review my fanfic :)

I will present a quote in each chapter that I feel goes well with the contents inside. I personally enjoy a good quote in a story. Make it more unique.

Anyway, without further adieu . . . onward to chapter three!